Charges at Dunedin City Council landfills will increase from
March 1 to cover the cost of rubbish disposal.
Domestic charges will increase at the Green Island landfill,
Waikouaiti landfill and the Middlemarch transfer station,
with the increases based on vehicle type and size.
For a standard car, that means an increase of $1.80, from
$16.20 to $18.
Council solid waste manager Ian Featherston said staff
reviewed the fees and charges last year and changes were
discussed and approved by the council during its 2013-14
pre-draft annual plan meetings in January.
The review found Green Island landfill revenue was below
budget this financial year, with a 20% shortfall between the
revenue received from domestic customers and the cost of
waste disposal.
Changes in October 2011 to the traffic layout at the Green
Island landfill, which separated the recycling area, had
allowed staff to gather more accurate information about costs
and charges, he said.
The original proposal from staff also included the
elimination from March 1 of charges for individual refuse
bags taken to landfills, as it was difficult for landfill
staff to judge how many bags were in a vehicle, and charge by
the vehicle instead.
That part of the proposal was now for consultation as part of
the annual plan process over the next few months. In the
meantime, refuse bags and commercial charges remained the
same.
There might be further changes to landfill charges as part of
the annual plan process, Mr Featherston said.
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